Love the Accidental Way
by Kukaburry
Summary: Sakura has had a crush on Adam for several years, and finally in senior year she has a chance to catch him. Things get complicated, though, when Syaoran Li transfers in. A sexy weekend trip in the mountains turns dangerous for the group when they come across an ancient burial ground.
1. Tension

Love the Accidental Way

By Kukaburry

Card Captor Sakura Disclaimer

Chapter 1- Tension

* * *

"I can't believe we're seniors!" Sakura chirped, smiling widely like a little girl. Her short-cropped amber hair bounced against her cheek as she skipped. "We're going to have so much fun this year Tomoyo!"

Tomoyo rolled her eyes and laughed, "Sakura, it's only the first day of school. We still have," she looked down at her calendar, "175 days left; give it a break." She flicked a long, black tendril of hair over her shoulder.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at Tomoyo. "Well I'm not planning on doing anything this year. I'm coasting! Uh oh." She looked to the front of the room where a guy with thick, sun-streaked hair and flawless tan sauntered in, yawned, and took the first seat by the door without so much as acknowledging anyone. "Adam's in our class this year!" She hissed loudly to Tomoyo.

"Gee thanks, I didn't notice that," Tomoyo answered sarcastically as she stared at his muscles bulging through his too-tight school-issued coat. "Why is he taking AP chemistry? I thought he didn't take smart people classes?"

Sakura spun around in her seat and raised her eyebrows, anger etched in her eyes. "He's not stupid Tomoyo. He just doesn't care about his grades." She defended him, sniffing at Tomoyo's blatant discrimination of jocks.

"Of course he's not stupid. He did get an offer to play soccer at Stanford. I just remember him saying last year that he was refusing to use his brain this year... and this isn't really what we would call a slack class." Tomoyo explained patiently while allowing Sakura to absorb this information.

"Oh…. Well he's really, really hot. I don't care about his brains, just look at his body." Sakura and Tomoyo giggled and traced his muscles with their eyes. "I heard he broke up with his girlfriend this summer. He's all ours."

A slender blonde woman in her early thirties entered the room holding a pair of thick-framed glasses. Her salon tan made her skin seem to glow with an orange tint. The tan line around her eyes suggested that not all of her tan was fake. "Good morning class," she chimed sedately, taking in all of the fresh and not-so-eager faces, "I am Ms. Raeford. Some of you may know my brother, Adam Raeford." Adam looked up, flashed his sister a haughty glare, and then continued the survey of the desk. Sakura and Tomoyo passed each other an 'Ah-ha' look. That's why Adam was in this class.

"I just started here this year. I went to Yale for my undergrad, and finished at North Western two years ago, majoring in Chemistry and Bioengineering. I had the pleasure of meeting your old teacher, Mrs. Danskin, and learned that this was a top-rate high school. I hope you all take this class seriously because I'm not a fan of slackers," She shot her brother a meaningful, cock-eyed stare. "Now…"

"No way! His sister…a brain?" Sakura chided, giggling with Tomoyo. "Will wonders never cease?"

"Excuse me! Two girls in the back, stand up please and address your names." Ms. Raeford commanded, glowering at Tomoyo and Sakura.

"I am Sakura Kinomoto, Ms. Raeford," she bowed apologetically.

"I am Tomoyo Daijou. I'm sorry for talking Ms. Raeford."

"Sakura, I want you to sit up front next to Adam. Tomoyo, sit in the middle section over there. I do not tolerate nonsense in my class. Maybe being separated from your friend will teach you a lesson." Ms. Raeford watched them icily as they silently moved to their new desks. Hushed chuckles flowed through the room causing Ms. Raeford's eye to inadvertently twitch.

Tomoyo gave Sakura a sly smile, indicating that she was 'lucky' to sit next to Adam. Sakura slid elegantly into her new seat next to the divine Adam. She snuck a side glance at his chiseled features and discovered that he was staring at her. Not just casually glancing at her; actually noticeably checking her out.

Sakura blushed and smiled bashfully at him. His eyes crinkled to life as he returned the smile. His eyes swept from her face back to his sister's droning.

An hour later, they had four packets of homework due the next week and two labs to be completed individually online. Tomoyo and Sakura dragged their bags wearily out of class. "Does she think we actually have work ethics or something? We're not going to be able to go to the beach this weekend with all this work," Sakura ranted.

"Did I hear someone say 'beach'," a cool voice asked from behind her. Sakura spun around and came face-to-face with Adam.

"Oh.. erm.. hi". 'Way to go Sakura, impress him with stuttering.' "Yeah, we were just going to drive out to the beach with our friends for a couple of days. Tomoyo's dad owns a beach house."

"That sounds like a cool time. Maybe I'll see you guys out there. My dad rents a house out there too." He shotSakura a devastating smile and left Tomoyo and Sakura completely speechless.

"Oh my goodness. Adam Raeford actually noticed you! How do you feel?" Tomoyo held out an imaginary microphone.

"I feel nauseous. I have to get a cute bathing suit now! It's too much pressure." Sakura swallowed hard and thought of different stores she could visit.

"Sakura, we'll think about that after school today. Let's just try to accept the fact that Adam checked you out on the first day of school." Both girls grinned and shared a laugh. "Looking forward to history this year? I heard old Mullard gives out easy A's to anyone who admires his map of China."

Sakura turned a quizzical eye on Tomoyo. "Really? That sounds too easy. Maybe we should let Yukito try it since he's failed history twice now for two different teachers."

Tomoyo laughed and agreed. "You're right, let's tell him before class. I can't wait to see Mullard's reaction."

They entered their next class and took adjoining seats near the center of the room. Not a minute later Adam sauntered in and took a seat directly behind Sakura. Sakura suddenly found it very difficult to chat candidly with Tomoyo in such a close proximity to Adam.

Tomoyo gave Sakura the 'look' and cocked her eyebrows jokingly. 'He's totally into you'. When Tomoyo turned to look at Adam, it was all Sakura could do from slapping a hand over her friend's mouth.

"So Adam, how was your summer?" She asked, trying to avoid looking at Sakura's death glare. "We didn't know you had a super-brainiac for a sister."

Adam gave Tomoyo a strange look. "Yeah, she's a total geek." He turned his gaze to Sakura who tried not to faint on the spot. "I can't believe she's embarrassing me by teaching at my school."

Sakura nodded sagely. "I know, siblings can be such jerks. My older brother calls me 'little monster' in front of everyone. I hate it." Tomoyo suppressed a giggle at the ridiculousness of Sakura's confession. It took her a moment to realize what she had just said and once she did, her entire body turned the color of an apple. "Oh my god. Sorry, not that you needed to know that."

Adam coughed uncomfortably and tried to laugh it off. "Yeah, it's ok. It's kind of cute." He said lamely.

Tomoyo hopped out of her chair when Yukito entered and explained her theory to him. "It can't hurt right?" He grinned and agreed to test it out. "Maybe I'll actually pass this year." He looked over at Sakura and nodded. "Hey Saku, haven't seen you in a while. Tell your brother to stop being a hermit and come out into the sun more."

"I'm not sure that will do much good. You might have to drag him out," she replied. "We'll all be grateful if you do."

"That can be arranged," he chuckled and took his seat.

The tardy bell rang and Mr. Mullard entered the room very slowly. "Oh god, I see ancient dust coming off of him with every step he takes!" Sakura whispered to Tomoyo who sniggered.

"He might have gone digging in Egypt looking for some of his relatives." Tomoyo whispered back. "I'm surprised they didn't mistake him for a mummy." They barely contained their hysterical laughter as he stopped behind his chair and faced the class.

"I'm glad to see your radiant faces this year." He creaked. Sakura gave Tomoyo a 'I'll bet he's glad to be alive this year' glance. "Now class, we have a new student joining our school this year. His name is Li, Syaoran." Everyone perked up at this. They rarely got new students, especially since it was senior year.

A muscular boy a little over 6 feet tall entered the room. He had piercing amber eyes and caramel colored hair. "Syaoran hails from Tokyo. Try to make him feel welcome." Several girls began whispering excitedly. Even Tomoyo and Sakura couldn't help but eye him lustfully.

"Mr. Li, please take the open seat next to miss Kinomoto. Sakura, please raise your hand." Sakura timidly raised her hand and Syaoran watched her with a piercing stare. He strode forward and sat down while remaining completely silent.

"Welcome to Tomedo High!" Sakura chirped brightly, smiling openly at the new guy.

"Yeah whatever. Just leave me alone." He grumbled, refusing to look at Sakura.

Sakura turned to Tomoyo, shocked and angry at the new guy's reaction. "Hey guy, you don't have to be a dick to her. She's just trying to be nice." Adam spoke up from behind Sakura. She wanted to hug him right then for sticking up for her.

"It's none of your business," Syaoran growled back. "You don't know me so don't pretend to be nice to me."

Who did this kid think he was? "Let me guess," he continued snidely while looking at Adam, "You're the soccer captain? You think you're a gift to the Earth." He turned his gaze to Sakura. "And you're the cheerleading captain. You think everyone loves you."

Tomoyo now jumped in. "Well buddy, just so you know, everyone does love Sakura. She is the nicest person you'll meet at this school. And I'm her best friend. I hope you know you just crossed me by bad-mouthing Sakura. I'm not against beating the crap out of you for that."

Syaoran rolled his eyes in mock terror. "I look forward to seeing you try."

So much for first impressions.

* * *

I haven't written a CCS fanfic in about 8 years, so this is quite exciting for me! I'm glad to be back in the game! ~Kukaburry~ R&R if you have time :D


	2. A Cheesy Mishap

Love the Accidental Way

By Kukaburry

Chapter 2 - A Cheesy Mishap

* * *

Sakura and Tomoyo became very disgruntled by this new guy's attitude. Never in her life had Sakura been treated like that, what had she said that made him so angry? Both she and Tomoyo traipsed out of the classroom and headed towards Sakura's car for lunch.

"Stop thinking about it so much. The guy is a jerk, end of story. What you should be thinking about is how completely adorable Adam was talking with you," Tomoyo reminded her.

"You're right. I don't need to waste my time worrying about a snob like that guy." She felt slightly mollified. They reached the top of the stairs of the parking lot and watched as Syaoran walked past them with a deep-set frown etched on his face. Sakura heard herself calling out, "Hey Li, come with us to lunch."

Open-mouthed, Tomoyo hastily pulled Sakura back and whispered, "Are you crazy? Today is our Italian day; I don't want that guy with us to ruin the mood."

Syaoran turned around slowly and peered at Sakura dubiously. "Are you serious?" Sakura gulped and nodded her head. "Where are you guys going?"

"The Italian bistro down the street. Not many people know about it," she replied boldly.

"You don't have to come, but they have great food so you're welcome to tag along." She tried to sound as cool and non-committal as she could.

"Are you trying to trick me?" He asked in suspicion.

Geez paranoid much? "No, I'm trying to be nice."

"Okay, but I'm driving myself and Hiragwazi."

Tomoyo choked next to Sakura. "Did he just say he's driving Eriol?" She squeaked.

"Yeah, so?" Sakura asked with a slight arch of her eyebrow.

"Oh, no reason." She replied quickly, stifling a frown.

Sakura and Tomoyo entered the dining area followed by Eriol and a grumpy Syaoran. "This doesn't look that great," he mumbled while staring at the benches with a skeptical eye.

"Oh shut up and eat the food," Tomoyo spat. "If you don't like it afterwards then bitch all you want."

Eriol looked up from his menu with lust-filled eyes. "I love it when you take charge," he whispered.

Tomoyo rolled her eyes and looked across at Sakura's amused expression. "So, how do you guys know each other? You came all the way here from Tokyo, but you seem to be good friends with Eriol."

"Eriol is my cousin." Syaoran explained bluntly.

"Are you staying with him?"

"No."

"Then where are you staying? If you live near me or Tomoyo then we can all carpool together. You can save money on gas."

"Is this twenty questions? Stop asking about me, I don't even know you." Sakura looked affronted, but managed to plaster on a weak, abashed smile.

Eriol snorted behind his menu. "Li doesn't need to save money, he's totally loa..." a loud retching noise escaped Eriol's mouth. Even though Syaoran's body hadn't budged, it was obvious he was the reason for Eriol's discomfort.

"Is anyone sitting here?" Sakura's head snapped up when she heard Adam's timbre float over her head.

"No!" She squealed excitedly then took a breath and smiled. "You're welcome to sit here."

Tomoyo looked at him and asked in a teasing voice, "Did you follow us?"

His easy grin put Sakura at ease. "No, my sister used to drag me here all the time. It's pretty good." He eyed Syaoran and Eriol questioningly. "Am I interrupting anything?" He looked sideways at Sakura. "A double date?"

Syaoran's snort of derision didn't escape anyone's notice. "No, we just invited Li to lunch to be hospitable." Tomoyo replied with a fake grin.

Eyes still on Sakura, Adam said with a small smile. "That's good." Tomoyo gave Sakura a significant look before returning to browsing the menu.

Everyone ordered drinks and food and they sat together in an awkward silence. Sakura tapped her hand against her drink while Eriol folded and unfolded his napkin into symmetrical squares.

"So does this school have a good soccer team?" Syaoran asked while looking towards Sakura.

"Yes, it's one of the best..." Sakura began.

"Of course it does. We're the best in our division." Adam said with an air of superiority. "Do you play?"

Syaoran shrugged noncommittally. "I played striker and right wing at my old school."

"You should come try out next week," Adam suggested with a grin. "Be warned though. Striker is my position." An undercurrent of anger that only Syaoran noticed tinged his words.

Eriol bent his head towards Tomoyo, completely oblivious to the conversation between Syaoran and Adam. "What are you doing this weekend?" A suggestive glint made her spine tingle. "Want to go see a movie?"

"Sorry, we're going to the beach this weekend." She mumbled while taking a sip from her cup.

"Too bad. Maybe next weekend." His wink didn't escape the notice of Sakura who watched the exchange with interest. "Oh good, food is here."

As the waitress was handing Syaoran his plate of pasta, Adam reached over to grab a bottle of grated Parmesan and hit the waitress's arm sending the contents spilling onto Syaoran's face and torso. Patches of Alfredo sauce slid down his shirt as he sat in stunned silence. The waitress began talking a mile a minute, apologizing profusely, before running into the back room to look for a towel.

A surprised giggle escaped Sakura's lips and Syaoran threw her a nasty glare. "Did you plan this or something?" His eyes assessed Sakura's innocent expression.  
"What? No." Her hurt expression didn't move him.

"Oh, so it's just a coincidence then?" He scraped a palm full of noodles from his shirt and deposited it on the table. "Pathetic." Standing up, he pulled his shirt up, exposing a muscled stomach to everyone at the table before tugging down his undershirt; a wave of crimson flushed Sakura's body as she stared at his stomach. He dropped the soiled shirt on the chair and pushed Sakura aside, escaping from his position by the window. "Come on Hiragwazi. Let's grab lunch on our way back."

"Dude it was an accident," Eriol tried to reason.

"Yeah, I didn't do it on purpose," Adam echoed with less persuasion. A gleam of humor twinkled in the corner of his eye as he looked at Syaoran's Alfredo-covered face.

"Fine, stay here with these guys then. I'm going."

"Wait, fine. I'm coming," Eriol growled, picking up his cup for one last sip. "See ya around."

After eating a sparse amount of food, Sakura stood up with Adam and Tomoyo to leave. The ocean blue t-shirt sitting next to her caught her attention and she reached forward to grab it.

"Leave it there," Adam said with a growl. "He shouldn't have been such a drama queen."

"We did spill food on him," Sakura said with a sigh. "The least I can do is clean his shirt."

"From the sounds of it, he has plenty of backups at home," Tomoyo said lazily, looking at the shirt with little interest. Adam looked at Tomoyo quizzically, but she just shrugged and said nothing further.

* * *

The next day, at the beginning of history class, Sakura spotted Syaoran sitting in the back of the room. Rummaging through her pink bag, she pulled out the freshly cleaned t-shirt and walked back to him. Spotting her heading his way, Syaoran managed to put on a ferocious glare. "What do you want?" He growled. "Want to grate cheese into my hair? Spill soda on my shoes?"

Rolling her eyes, she held out the folded shirt for him to grab. "I'm just giving this back to you."

Surprise flickered across his face for a moment before settling back into a glare. "I don't need your help. Keep it for all I care."

"Look," her voice went up an octave, "I went through the trouble of cleaning your stupid shirt as an apology. Please take it." Several people sitting nearby looked over curiously. It was unlike Sakura to get angry.

Ears flaming, Syaoran snatched the shirt from her hands. "Fine."

"Is that it?" She asked in disbelief. She couldn't believe how stubborn and boorish he was acting.

"Yes."

"You are such a jerk," she spat before turning on her heel.

Yukito passed Sakura on her way to his seat and noticed her furious expression. "What's wrong Saku?"

She shrugged his concerned hand off her shoulder and muttered, "Nothing," before taking a look back at Syaoran and deepening her glower.

Adam strolled in a moment later hair tousled, tie askew, bag slung carelessly over his shoulder, and sat down next to Sakura. "Good morning." His easy grin brought a small smile to Sakura's face. "You look cute today."

It was true that she had tried a little harder than usual to look cute today. She had straightened her hair, put on eye shadow, and used extra perfume on her wrists. Sakura preened a bit at the compliment, but played it coy just for fun. "Thanks, I bet you say that to every girl you see."

His smile broadened as he chuckled. "Well, I do say that to every girl, but I mean it for you."

A pleased flush spread over her cheeks. "Sakura save me," Tomoyo appeared at her desk panting. "Hiragwazi is following me again." She looked up and saw Eriol's midnight blue hair bob past the window.

"He's pretty nice though," Sakura tried to reason.

Tomoyo stuck her tongue out in disgust. "He so wimpy though. He's skinny and wears glasses. Totally not cute." Her eyes slid sideways to look at Adam and she leaned in for a whisper. "Nothing like your guy."

Nearly sputtering with embarrassment, Sakura shook her head furiously. "He's not my guy, Tomo."

A sparkle of mischief came to Tomoyo's eye. "Not yet, anyway."

An hour later the bell rang, signaling class was over. Sakura and Tomoyo walked together towards drama class. "Hey Sakura, wait up a second." Tomoyo smiled secretly and continued towards class, leaving Sakura momentarily alone with Adam.

"So I know you're going to the beach this weekend, and I was wondering if you would go with me?"

"W-with you?"

He stepped towards her possessively. "Yes with me. Like a date."

Sakura zombied her way to her seat right as the bell rang. Tomoyo watched her cautiously while she sat down. "Did it go alright?"

"He asked me out," Sakura sighed. "On a date. He wants to get dinner when we're out at the beach."

"But then I'll be alone," Tomoyo whined. "What will I do by myself on Friday night?"

Eriol's head popped up when he heard this, a look of devilish plotting etched upon his face.

* * *

Oooh intrigue. What is Eriol doing now? Poor Syaoran. He's such a goofball isn't he? As always I love hearing feedback :).


	3. Beach Fuzz

Love the Accidental Way

By Kukaburry

Chapter 3 - Beach Fuzz

* * *

"I can't believe we skipped last period!" Sakura laughed. "I've never skipped a class before."

Tomoyo laughed from behind the steering wheel. "You can't be a goody-goody all the time, dear." Sakura grinned and pushed her seat back a little farther. "What time is Adam meeting us out there?"

"I don't really know. He said he would call me," she giggled. "A boy is going to call me!"

"You're such a lovely person, of course he would want to call you." Tomoyo said with conviction. "I always knew you would end up with Adam. You've liked him since sophomore year."

Sakura smiled and reflected on when she had first met Adam. She had just made the cheerleading team and Tomoyo was taping her tryouts when a soccer ball sailed across the field and hit Sakura in the stomach. A tall, well-built person with cropped blond hair had come rushing over to grab it. He reached down to pull Sakura up on her feet, concern glowing in his eyes. "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

"Oh I'm fine, I've had worse." The guy began laughing at her statement.

"I'm Adam." He put his hand forward.

"Sakura," she grasped his hand timidly.

"Well I can't promise I won't hit you with a soccer ball again. I can't say no to damsel in distress." Even though it had been the corniest line Sakura had ever heard, her stomach felt full of butterflies.

"Daydreaming?" Tomoyo's words snapped Sakura back to the present.

"Maybe," she admitted. "I can't help it. I just can't believe he finally asked me out."

* * *

They arrived at the beach in record time and pulled their suitcases from the trunk. Tomoyo pushed the key into the rusty lock and jiggled the lock three times before shoving the door inward. The shambles of the exterior lead the eye to believe the interior was completely hopeless, yet inside was a completely different world. Finely polished wooden floors, faux fur rugs in the living room, plasma television, gas stove and a full-house sound system gave the girls goose bumps when they stepped inside. The only sign of non-habitation was a thin layer of dust on the granite countertops.

"Whew turn up the AC, Saku. My makeup is melting."

"Can do." She switched the AC to 67. "Your dad is awesome Tomoyo. Seriously, how did he do all of this in a year?"

"It's called a contractor." She tapped the digital display near the door and music began blasting throughout the house. "We need to have a party here tomorrow."

"Only if we get the rest of Chemistry done," Sakura's proposition was met with a roll of Tomoyo's eyes. "Remember last year when we put off doing Trig? You ended up kissing Acne Andy to get the answers."

"Oh... right... I forgot about that." She visibly shuddered at the memory. "Fine we'll do it tomorrow after the beach."

Sakura felt her pocket vibrate and she flashed a quick, excited grin at Tomoyo before answering the phone. She chatted for a moment before hanging up, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "He's coming to pick me up now."

"You're going to miss out on swimming at sunset."

"Nope, he's coming here to go swimming with us then taking me to dinner."

A self-chastising frown appeared on Tomoyo's face. "That leaves me alone for the night."

"Aw Tomo, don't worry. I promise it'll be a short dinner." She pulled open her suitcase and held up a cute pink two-piece bathing suit. "Let's get changed."

* * *

Adam, Sakura, and Tomoyo crossed the sandy bridge connecting the street to the beach. The three of them found a cozy spot near the incoming tide. "Let me help you with the sunblock," Adam said with a grin while pulling Sakura towards his beach towel.

Tomoyo laid out her towel before spotting a woman selling bottled waters and watermelon. "Get one for me too!" Sakura yelled out as she began pulling her camisole and shorts off. She noticed Adam watching her from the corner of his eyes with a small grin on his face.

"Fancy running into you here." Tomoyo looked over to see Eriol and Syaoran walking over a small hill carrying large beach towels. "They have the best watermelon I've ever tasted."

"W-what? Did you follow us here?"

A sly smile appeared on Eriol's face. "Of course not. My parents own a beach house right over there," he pointed in the direction of Tomoyo's beach house. "1231 A." That was two houses down from Tomoyo's.

Tomoyo watched him suspiciously, as he handed over a handful of money for a piece of watermelon. "Why did you come out here today?"

Eriol pretended to look affronted. "Because it's gorgeous out this weekend of course." He took a step towards her. "Why do you think I came here?" She could not help but notice his well-trained arms and stomach muscles, hidden until now beneath layers of shirts. A hint of hair trailed from his navel to the waistband of his swim trunks.

Face beet red, Tomoyo swallowed hard. "The weather of course," she managed to croak.

"If you're not interested in talking to us of course, we can go to a different side of the beach."

Holding her fresh watermelon and waters, she eyed Eriol and Syaoran's non-threatening appearances. "No- no of course not." She said lamely. "You guys can stay."

A look passed between Syaoran and Eriol, Syaoran seemed less excited by the prospect of hanging out with Tomoyo. His demeanor became even more unpleasant when he saw Adam and Sakura sitting on a beach towel together and he threw a nasty glare at Eriol who pretended to be oblivious to his friend's anger.

"Oh good, Sakura is here too." Eriol conveniently forgot about Adam sitting right next to her.

Adam looked up from his conversation with Sakura and hailed Tomoyo over. "So I heard from Sakura that you're having a party tonight?"

"Well... not tonight exactly. I was thinking tomorrow."

He shifted his focus on Eriol and Syaoran's forms flanking Tomoyo. "Where did they come from?" His voice was not completely friendly.

"My parents own a beach house right over there," Eriol pointed over his shoulder at a large, modern beach house. "I didn't know we were going to see Tomoyo and Sakura here." His expression showed innocence while his voice hinted otherwise. "What's this I hear about a party tonight?"

"It's not tonight," Tomoyo replied, exasperated by the boys already.

"Why not have parties both nights?" Adam asked. "It's not like your parents are here to stop you."

Tomoyo watched Sakura's crestfallen expression. "Don't you guys have a date tonight?"

Adam shrugged and turned back with a devastating smile at Sakura. "Dates can be moved, right? House parties, now that's a different thing. How often can you have a party without parents, right? Sakura understands."

Heart throbbing painfully, Sakura managed to put on a forbearing smile. "Yeah, I understand. Let's do it."

"See, she's cool. I'll invite some of my friends." He flicked his eyes towards Eriol. "Are they coming?"

"Eriol can go, I don't have any interest." Syaoran's voice held contempt for the idea of having a party.

"Too bad." Adam did not even try to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

After rolling his eyes, Syaoran stretched out on his towel and laid down in an attempt to soak in the last rays of the dying sun. He listened to Eriol's advances asking Tomoyo if she needed help with her sunscreen, which she continually rebuffed. He listened to Adam telling Sakura a thrilling tale about his soccer prowess and she gasped and ahhed at all the right moments. Two hours later, everyone sat in silence, watching blazing orange rays from the sun fade below the horizon.

"Alright, my boys and I are going to grab the kegs." Adam announced while typing furiously on his phone. He leaned over to peck Sakura on the cheek. "Be back in an hour."

Sakura walked back with the rest of the group and grabbed onto Tomoyo's free arm. "Can we do Chemistry now? I thought we would have time tonight, but now..." she trailed off meaningfully.

"What? Do chemistry on a Friday night?" Tomoyo pretended to look scandalized then smiled. "No, we can work on it tomorrow."

Sakura sighed and trudged more slowly in the warm sand.

Syaoran watched this exchange with interest out of the corner of his eye. He noticed Eriol watching him so he pulled on a disinterested mask and looked away from the girls. "Syaoran and I are gonna change then come over," Eriol announced.

"I'm not going," Syaoran insisted as Eriol pulled him to the left.

"Sakura," Tomoyo turned to her with a serious expression. "Help me figure out what to wear!"

An hour later Tomoyo walked downstairs wearing a mid-thigh, baby blue halter dress while Sakura sported short khakis and a low-cut pink halter-top. Eriol pushed the door open and strolled in, alone. "You two look cute," he admired them, but his eyes were trained solely on Tomoyo.

Blushing, Tomoyo began chastising Eriol. "You can't just walk into people's houses." As Eriol and Tomoyo continued to argue, Sakura saw several headlights flash in the driveway and she went to open the door.

"Hey doll," Adam's voice breathed from the doorframe. He smelled very strongly of alcohol. "Ready to have fun?" He pressed his face forward to capture Sakura's lips, but she turned her head at the last moment so he bumped his jaw against her cheek. "The cheek again?" He laughed. "I'll wear you down eventually." His predatory gaze set Sakura's stomach on fire. A dozen people materialized behind Adam right as Tomoyo began cranking up the music. Adam pulled Sakura into the house with a light tug. "Let's dance."

An hour later Sakura found herself looking at her book bag for the seventh time that night. She checked her watch and calculated how long she could go missing before anyone would notice her absence: one hour. A group of guys surrounded Tomoyo and Adam was off talking with a couple of friends so she grabbed her bag and quietly escaped out the front door.

* * *

Saku is such a nerd. Adorable! Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think. 3 Kukaburry


	4. Chemical Bonds

Love the Accidental Way

By Kukaburry

Chapter 4 - Chemical Bonds

*Thanks for the reviews and way to guess what happened in this chapter ;) *

* * *

Sakura found a slightly sandy park bench just down the road near a flickering street light and sat down with her book and four stacks of homework sheets. Flipping open her phone, she clicked 'go' to start her hour timer. Fifteen minutes in a male voice above her head snapped her out of her mental zone. "What are you doing?" She blinked up at the shadowed face and recognized it after a few seconds of scrutiny.

"Syaoran? Why are you out here?"

He folded his arms across his chest with a bemused smile on his lips. "I should ask you the same thing." Nodding his head at her books he continued, "Got bored of the party so quickly?"

"Oh no, not really. I just wanted to start working on stuff," she murmured, face starting to feel flushed. "We've got a lot of homework due on Monday."

He peered at the books and assessed her uncomfortable position. "Do you want to do it at Eriol's place?"

Startled by the idea, Sakura merely gaped at him for a moment. "I don't want to stop you from going out somewhere."

"I just got back from dinner at that diner down the street."

"You ate by yourself?" Syaoran shrugged, unconcerned by the idea of eating alone. "Alright well, are you sure you don't mind?"

"That doesn't look very comfortable. It doesn't matter to me though," he said with a lazy flick of the wrist. "Stay here if you'd like. Or you can follow me."

She watched his retreating back for a moment before throwing her papers in her backpack and scurrying after Syaoran. "Okay I guess it would be nice to have better lighting."

Syaoran shrugged. "Yeah."

"And better seating."

"Yep."

She looked at him quizzically, wondering why he was giving her one-word answers. "You don't talk much do you?"

"Nope." She almost took her shoe off and beat him with it, but stopped when she saw a teasing grin on his face. A cold wind began gusting right as they reached the front porch. "Lucky I came by, huh."

"Yeah, thanks, I would've eaten a lot of sand."

"Increase your daily fiber content," he replied with a smile.

"Ugh, that's gross." In the brighter lights, Syaoran finally got a look at the cute outfit Sakura was wearing. His eyes swept from her face to her feet while she was occupied with pulling out wads of papers. "Man this class is going to suck." She glanced up and frowned. "Why are you all red? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled, turning away with a frown.

She watched as his color got even darker and she reached out a hand, "Here let me check," but he shied away and sat down on the other side of the couch. "Alright, fine," she mumbled, opening her book to chapter one and continued to on the first problem set.

"Do you want something to drink or eat?" Sakura's stomach gurgled from lack of food. "I'll take that as a yes. Want some popcorn and a coke?"

"Yes, please." The smell of freshly melted butter filled the house.

After bringing out the popcorn and sodas, Syaoran grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. "Sorry I'll turn it down," he said when her head snapped up quickly at the sound. "What are you working on?"

"AP Chemistry. We're learning acids and bases and ph levels right now."

"Oh that's the easy part."

She looked up at him with a questioning glance. "Did you take this back in Tokyo?"

"Sure. Last year with pretty much everyone else."

Sakura tried not to look too impressed. "So everyone there takes AP Chemistry?"

"Almost everyone. If you want to do anything worthwhile after college then you take your base level classes in high school."

"Wow, it sounds like you had to work really hard there." Syaoran gave a noncommittal nod. "Did you parents make you do it?"

Syaoran's expression turned dark and brooding instantly. "This conversation is done." Cheeks burning from embarrassment, Sakura bent her head over her book and blinked back sudden tears. They sat in silence for several minutes after that, only broken by the announcer on TV. "Look, sorry for snapping. Let me see what you're doing." He nudged her books aside and stared over her shoulder. Sakura lifted her head slightly to give him a clearer view. "Look, you did these first two right, but the third one needs to have the reverse log to find the acidic ph."

She peered at the page for several minutes, flipping through her book for answers. Finally she looked up, frustrated. "Why do I do that?"

"Well they gave you the OH- ph now you need to find the H+ ph using reverse log."

Sakura looked at the page and turned her head to read a couple of paragraphs. "Oh, I see. She didn't mention that part during class." A smile spread across her face. "Thanks." She worked through several more problems correctly before hitting number eight. She wrote and rewrote the problem before leaving large black streaks across the page. "What does this one mean? I can't figure it out."

"It's like the other problems you've been doing. It's asking to change the ph scale from basic to acidic depending on the number of OH- or H+ ions in water." Sakura nodded her head. "If there is 10^-7 OH- then there is 10^-7 H+."

"Which is neutral, right?"

"Right. If there is 10^-3 H+ ions then there is 10^-11 OH- ions."

"But why is all of this about H+ and OH-?"

"What is the molecule for water?"

"H2O."

"Right, how do you get H20?"

She stared at him for a moment before a light bulb clicked in her head. "Oh! OH- and H+. I should have remembered that from chem 1. So there are H+ and OH- ions floating around in all bodies of water."

"Exactly. It becomes acidic or basic if it loses or gains H+ ions. See? Easy."

Sakura glanced up shyly. "You know, you would be a good tutor," she said softly.

"No way, I have no patience." He tapped the pencil nervously against his thigh.

"You've been fine with me." Syaoran looked down for a second, catching sight of more cleavage than he should have, and once again turned fire engine red. Sakura's hand shot forward and she placed a cool palm against his heated cheek. "Here I'll get you a glass of water and aspirin. You definitely have a fever."

"Yeah you're right. I'm just going to go lay down," he stood up quickly to escape his position next to her. "You should go back to the party."

"Oh," Sakura stammered for a moment and grasped her papers then shoved them back into her book. "Yeah you're right. It's getting late." She swung the faded denim bag over her shoulder. "Um.. If I have trouble with any of the problems tomorrow do you think..." she trailed off and looked up at Syaoran who was now perched on the first step leading upstairs. "Do you think I could come over here and ask for help?"

An inner dialogue seemed to commence inside Syaoran's head because he remained silent for nearly a minute. "Sure, I guess that would be fine." A sarcastic lilt attached to his final comment, "As long as your boyfriend doesn't mind."

"Who? Adam?" Syaoran gave her an unbelieving glance. "Well he's not my boyfriend... yet." A girlish giggle escaped her lips. "Maybe after this weekend..." She could tell the conversation was making him uncomfortable. "Okay, are you sure you're okay? Here's some aspirin that you should take before going to sleep." She placed the bottle on the edge of the coffee table and backed away towards the door. "Alright, feel better."

She snuck back inside Tomoyo's house and threw her bag into her room right as loud cheering erupted from the kitchen area. Pushing through several sweaty bodies, Sakura found Eriol and Adam playing beer pong against two random people. From the looks of things, Eriol and Adam were winning. "Hey, I've been looking all over for you," Tomoyo pulled on her arm. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, just went out for a little bit. I took a walk down to the uh..." She thought about it for a minute. "The diner you know, down the street. I was kind of hungry and it was too loud in here." She did not know why that lie popped out of her mouth.

"Oh well there's stuff in the fridge if you were hungry. You didn't have to eat alone."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," she said evasively. "Are you having fun?" She noticed that Tomoyo's eyes were slightly unfocused.

"Our boys are kicking ass over there." Tomoyo's gaze caught Eriol's and she blushed slightly.

"What exactly happened while I was gone?" Sakura asked curiously. "On Wednesday you couldn't stand the guy."

"Things happen sometimes," Tomoyo replied mysteriously. "Speaking of, Adam's been asking for you for the past ten minutes." Anticipation tingled from Sakura's heart down to her stomach. Adam looked over in her direction and broke out with a goofy grin.

"There she is!" He waded through the reaching arms of several girls and stopped right in front of Sakura. "I was worried you had run away," he teased, pulling her into a warm embrace. "I missed you." Before he finished the sentence, his lips descended onto hers. His mouth was hot and wet and tasted strongly of beer, yet his lips were gentle. "You know what?" He breathed into her ear, voice suddenly dry and husky, "You and Tomoyo should play against us after this round. Show us your skills." He winked while taking her hand and leading her back to the beer pong table. Several girls threw Sakura piercing glares as she passed.

Two hours and six beers later, Sakura had forgotten all about Chemistry.

* * *

I am tutoring someone in chemistry right now so all of this acid/base crap is stuck in my head :P.


End file.
